John Barden clarifies IT career programs

Yale’s Chief Information Officer, John Barden, addresses questions asked by the community through our Ask John survey feature. This week, John explains the difference between IT’s various college intern programs.

I am unclear on the differences between College Internship, ECDP, and the College-based recruiting program. Can you define this?

We have a range of opportunities for undergraduates and recent graduates to explore different career paths in Information Technology. These programs are important in several regards—they create a flow of early-career professionals into the team, demonstrate our commitment to hiring locally, and give our current team members an opportunity to engage and train less experienced personnel. Many of these programs have existed for some time, and recent enhancements (i.e. the addition of the college-based recruiting program) are designed to strengthen these programs. Each fills a bit of a unique and complimentary role: 

• We have a High School Internship program that offers area high school students with a six-week paid summer internship in IT. The emphasis is on our local high schools and providing meaningful experiences in what it is like to work in an IT organization.
• Our College Internship Program takes place during the summer and winter months for 10-12 weeks. This is a traditional college internship program. Many will have their first working experience at Yale, while others will be on their second or even third internship. These paid internships offer undergraduate college students (who are enrolled full-time in an accredited college degree program) an opportunity to work side-by-side with IT professionals on projects matched with their areas of interest. interns also take part in career and professional development opportunities with an emphasis on networking and exposure to our campus community. Many college students attend local universities and are New Haven residents. These are temporary positions, and students generally return to their school after the program to complete their academic program, but we hope they surface again at a later date for one of the other programs below.
• Our Early Career Development Program (ECDP) is an 18-month rotational program for recent or rising graduates of an undergraduate program. These team members have the opportunity to work in three different placements within the organization in six-month blocks. The goal is to provide broad exposure to many facets of IT and is a good option for a recent graduate who isn’t quite sure of a specific direction and want to have the opportunity to try many things. All degree programs are accepted, though most have come to us with computer science or IT-related degrees. These are paid 18 month termed roles, though many past participants have demonstrated great skills and are ultimately placed into other existing open positions during or after conclusion of the program.
• Our College-based recruiting program is the newest addition and is focused on hiring IT talent from universities. I view this as a critical change to our recruiting practices, one which can establish an ongoing pipeline of talent and establish relationships with local colleges and universities. These are competitively compensated full time roles. In our first fall recruiting effort, four new members were signed on and have either started or will start at the conclusion of their academic programs in May.

I’m proud of these programs, which offer opportunities for young, talented individuals to learn more about the IT field and to contribute to our work at Yale.

Learn more about these programs online

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